Migraines Specialist

BodyWorks Medical Center

Integrative Medical Clinic located in Carol Stream, IL

Migraines are crippling headaches that can have a serious effect on your daily life, but the highly skilled team members of BodyWorks Medical Center, in Carol Stream, Illinois, can offer relief from the misery of migraines. If you’re looking for help with a migraine problem and want to try a non-pharmaceutical method of relieving your pain, call BodyWorks Medical Center today or book an appointment online.

Migraines Q & A

What is a migraine?

A migraine is a specific type of headache that can cause severe, debilitating pain. Symptoms include:

Stomach pain

Nausea

Vomiting

Light sensitivity

Noise sensitivity

Feeling too hot or cold

Pale, clammy skin

Extreme tiredness

Dizziness

Blurred vision or seeing flashing lights

A headache can become so intense that people who are experiencing a migraine frequently have to lie down in a darkened, quiet room. Most migraines last for around four hours, although they can go on for several days. Some people experience regular migraine attacks every week or month, while others have them only infrequently.

Migraines usually start occurring when you’re between the ages of 10 and 40, with women being affected three times as often as men. According to the American Migraine Foundation, around 37 million Americans experience migraines to some degree.

There are two types of migraines: classic and common. A classic migraine starts with what’s known as an aura, whereas a common migraine starts without an aura. An aura causes visual disturbances such as:

Blind spots

Blurred vision

Seeing flashing lights or bright dots

Visual distortions such as seeing lines

Temporary loss of vision

Non-visual aura symptoms may also be present, causing changes to the other senses. You might hear a ringing in your ears or experience strange tastes and smells.

What causes a migraine?

Migraine symptoms are caused by overactive nerve cells sending signals to the trigeminal nerve. This nerve is responsible for feelings in your head and face, and when it receives signals from overactive nerve cells, it releases serotonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP makes the blood vessels lining the brain swell, causing pain and inflammation.

Migraines usually start as a result of a trigger. Common triggers include:

Caffeine (too much or sudden withdrawal)

Foods such as mature cheese

Food additives including nitrates and monosodium glutamate

Exhaustion

Stress

Weather changes

Menstrual periods

Not eating regularly

There are several possible triggers for a migraine, but it can be hard to pinpoint the precise cause in every case. It’s known that you can be born with a genetic predisposition to migraines, but it’s not thought to be exclusively genetic, so you may be the only person in your family who experiences the condition.

What treatments are available for a migraine?

BodyWorks Medical Center team members also spend time looking at what could be triggering your migraine attacks and design a program for you to follow that helps reduce the likelihood of experiencing a migraine.

If you struggle with a migraine problem, the BodyWorks Medical Center team can help, so call the clinic today, or book an appointment online.